We are currently working on a site-wide upgrade which will be completed in September 2022
You will not be able to search, add or edit information in the American Air Museum archive while this takes place.
You can find out more about our plans here
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D Thunderbolt 42-74686 Assigned to 335th FS 4th FG 8th AF 9-43, later on strength with 514th FS, 406th FG, 9th AF.
Crashed Belly Landing, Ashford/Sta 417, Cat 3 damage Pilot Bernard J Sledznik, 514FS 406FG, 9AF 12-5-44.
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...
Squadron
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Leon Blanding joined the RCAF and began flying as a sergeant pilot with No. 121 'Eagle' Squadron, and he rose to the rank of Major over the course of two tours with the 4th fighter Group.
...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
As a youth, he was raised on a ranch near Santa Rosa, California. When his parents separated, he and his siblings lived with an English couple. While working at the railroad he wanted to be able to serve in defence of his country, so he took up...
Military site : airfield
Built as an Advanced Landing Ground for the RAF in 1942-1943, Ashford was improved and made ready for the Ninth Air Force in 1944. The 406th Fighter Group operated from the airfield in 1944, before the airfield was returned to RAF use and returned to...
Military site : airfield
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactured | Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA | 1943 |
|
Built by Republic. |
||
| Delivered | United States | 1943 |
|
To USAAF |
||
| Shipped Overseas | Merseyside, UK | August 1943 |
|
Shipped Overseas to ETO. |
||
| Transferred | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | September 1943 |
|
Transferred to 335th FS 4th FG 8th AF 9-43. |
||
| Transferred | Ashford, Ashford, Kent, UK | 1944 |
|
Transferred to 514th FS, 406th FG, 9th AF. |
||
| Crashed | Ashford, Ashford, Kent, UK | 12 May 1944 |
|
Crashed Belly Landing, Ashford/Sta 417, Cat 3 damage Pilot Bernard J Sledznik, 514FS 406FG, 9AF 12-5-44. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 07 September 2015 19:56:23 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, markings, description, events, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=42-74686 |
||
